


Finding You (Again). Finding Us (Forever).

by digthewriter



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Hospital, Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, Angst, Background Merlin/Arthur Pendragon - Freeform, Background Relationships, Fluff, Hospital Sex, M/M, Magic, Merlin has magic, Minor Merlin/Arthur Pendragon, Reincarnation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-09
Updated: 2017-06-09
Packaged: 2018-11-12 04:29:46
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11154267
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/digthewriter/pseuds/digthewriter
Summary: Reincarnation!Fic.In the midst of a criminal investigation gone wrong, Percy finds his soulmate.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> CREATED FOR [this art](http://dylan-mx.livejournal.com/51998.html) BY dylan_mx
> 
>  **Warnings:** Reincarnation AU. Percy's POV. Pining. Unrequited love (not between Percy/Gwaine). Morgana is mysteriously missing as a character. Flashbacks of Percy coming to term with his memories as Knight Percival.  
>  **Disclaimer:** I don't own the characters. This is written for fun and not for profit. No offence is intended. 
> 
> **Author's Notes:** There are many things wrong with this story. It's sort of all over the place. So I'll start by saying that: I've never written crime drama, so don't hold your breath for something spectacular. Additionally, the author has no knowledge of the medical field, and hospitals—everything is made up (and the points don't matter).
> 
> This story does depend on the readers having _basic_ knowledge of the show in order to put some pieces together, however, I don't think it's totally necessary.

The only light in the room came from the mobile stated next to his bed. As it buzzed uncontrollably, Percy knew he had no choice but to roll over and answer it. He didn't know who would be calling him so late at night, especially after _such_ a long day.

"Hello?" he said, his voice groggy, and his eyes still half closed.

"Percy, it's Arthur."

"Arthur? Is everything all right?" Percy sat up in the bed immediately, mentally recalling where he'd tossed his clothes to before he got on the bed, where his gun was, and where he'd parked his car.

"It's Merlin. He's in worse condition. I know you—"

"I'll be there as soon as I can. Just text me the address to the hospital just to be safe."

Percy hung up the phone and switched on the lamp next to his bed. He'd had a long day because he'd been out patrolling alone without his partner, Merlin, who was in hospital. Getting shot on the job was a risk they were all fully aware of, but when it actually happened, it was an entirely new thing all together. Merlin had jumped in front of Percy to save him, and now he was in critical condition.

The doctors had said he was stable, and they were going to wait for the specialist; perhaps he or she had arrived today. 

He dressed in record time and was out the door by the time Arthur had texted him the address to Kilgharrah Memorial Hospital. His heart raced as he pulled into a parking spot, and ran into the hospital to the nurse's station. At first, she was unwilling to give him any information because he _wasn't family_ , and Percy nearly bit her head off. Instead, he decided to show her his Special Investigator badge he had from Camelot Police and seemed to do the trick.

She walked him through the long corridor, going left twice, and once right, until they were in the Intensive Care Unit, and reached Merlin's room. Percy saw Arthur, Elyan, and Mordred there and nodded at them.

Mordred looked worried. Not that the others didn't care for Merlin as their friend and coworker, but Mordred had a special relationship with Merlin no one else seemed to know about. Percy had to wonder how much Mordred remembered. How much he knew.

Merlin was on the bed, unconscious, and a man stood by his side reading Merlin's chart. Percy figured he was the specialist they'd all been waiting for. Since Percy had never seen the man before.

The doctor looked up at Percy and tentatively smiled. "Hello," he said and Percy felt as though he'd got the wind kicked out of him. He felt dizzy and he reached for the wall next to him to keep him steady when—"Shit, not this again," he mumbled and collapsed.

*-*-*

_"What's wrong with him, Doctor?" Percy's mum looked worried as she glanced down at him and rubbed his forehead. "He keeps having these seizures, and you said that's not what they are? I mean how can this be…"_

_"I understand you're worried, Mrs Everett," the doctor said reading a piece of paper and walking away from Percy._

_No, wait! He wanted them to come back; he wanted to tell them he remembers. He has to save him. He has to save Gwaine!_

*-*-*

"Does this happen often?"

The voice was familiar but also somewhat strange. It was like he was listening to it through a filter.

"Not for a very long time."

Okay, that was definitely Arthur's voice. _But why is it dark_? He slowly opened his eyes, taking in the room. It's a familiar setting, but it's been a while since Percy had found himself flat on a hospital bed, staring at the ceiling.

"Arthur?"

"Hey, mate. I'm right here…" Arthur reached him and helped him sit up on the bed. "How are you—"

"How's Merlin?" Percy asked. "How long was I out?"

Arthur chuckled lightly and gave him his side smirk. He'd been best mates with Arthur for twenty years and Percy would know that smirk anywhere. "Merlin is fine, mate. He's stable for now and the doctor here—" Arthur pointed towards Percy's left and Percy came face to face with the bloke from his dreams. The boy who had haunted him as a child, and the man who'd caused his seizures to return.

"Hello, I'm Doctor Gwaine Greene. I'm looking after your friend Merlin, and I was in the room when you—"

"Yes, I remember," Percy said quickly. He turned to look at Arthur. "You have to know there's a mole right?"

 _One thing at a time_ , Percy thought. He had to deal with this one at a time. He needed to make sure Merlin was all right, he needed to tell Arthur what Merlin had told him right before he was shot, and then…he was going to deal with Gwaine.

Arthur looked surprised and he quickly glanced from Percy to Gwaine, and then back to Percy.

"I'll give you two a minute. It seems you're doing better, and I'll be back after my rounds."

When the doctor left, Percy turned his attention to Arthur. But before he could say anything, Arthur cut in. "What is going on with you? I've never seen you lose control over one of your episodes in a long time. Not like _this_."

"It's…" Percy stopped himself before he revealed too much. Arthur didn't remember. He didn't know. Even if he was _with_ Merlin, he'd not remembered. Merlin had told Percy it was going to take time. They were all going to take their time and not everyone was going to remember it. It was best to keep the past in the best and focus in the now. In their new life.

How could Percy tell Arthur, his best friend, Gwaine was his soul mate? His partner from another life, and he'd not been able to save him then—and now he was here.

"Merlin told me, right before he was shot," Percy said, changing the subject. They needed to keep the focus in the now. He needed to talk about the case, _save_ Merlin's life.

It wasn't as if his past life was all one clear picture, Percy only remembered fragments. Merlin remembered a whole lot more than him, but he'd never shared anything with him. He'd talk to Percy, listen to his own recollections, but never divulged any information on his own. So it was better to focus on the case. To find the culprit who was the reason Merlin had been shot.

"What did Merlin say?" If Arthur noticed Percy had changed the subject, he didn't comment on it. "About a mole? You're sure?"

"It was his belief. That they always seemed to know when we were getting ready to make a bust. He thinks there's someone working for the other side. I mean, the last one, we were so close. We kept the information only to a select few, and as soon as it was common knowledge — where we were headed — there was a firefight. And Merlin jumped in front of me because he knew—" Percy stopped himself then. He couldn't tell Arthur Merlin knew he could heal. He had magic.

If Percy had been shot, he'd be in real trouble, he might not have even survived, but Merlin _could_ survive.

"What did he know?"

"He wanted me to launch our own investigation. Keep it undercover. I think he _knows_ who the mole is but he didn't tell me. He wants us to find evidence on our own. You know how he is with his…"

"Psychic powers?" Arthur asked, almost joking. "Yeah, I know. I always thought it was a joke until he started doing things I was going to talk to him about. There were times I think he can read my mind, but he just says he knows me. He's always known me. And when I ask him, he changes the subject."

"He loves you," Percy said without even realising he'd said it.

Arthur was their Chief, and he'd avoided Merlin outside of the work place for a very long time. Everyone on the force had thought it was because Arthur had some sort of issue with Merlin, but Percy had found out because Arthur fancied him. He'd fancied him and didn't think it was okay to feel that way about his subordinate. But when Percy and Merlin had become partners, he'd discovered Merlin was in love with Arthur, too.

Except, Merlin had been in love with Arthur for ages. In every literal sense of the word.

"Percy, we've only been seeing each other for—"

"I know, but I also know you fancied him for six months before you said anything, and you pined over for another six months after, until _I_ dared you to—"

"Still, you know we can't be out. Not about this. Not now."

"I know that, Arthur. He knows it too. Especially now if someone finds out about you two, the _mole_ finds out, then they'll use it to their advantage. Maybe even hurt him to get to you, or vice versa."

"He's good at keeping secrets," Arthur said, and looked to Percy for confirmation.

"You know he is. It's hard to pry anything out of him. So even if he's aware of who the mole is, he would never let him or her know. We'll have to solve this one and keep him safe."

Arthur nodded thoughtfully. "Very well, I'll go around and interview everyone on the team. Perhaps when you're discharged, we can discuss who should be kept in the loop. Maybe I'll increase the security outside Merlin's hospital room. Have the doctors keep tabs on who goes in and out—"

"Greene, the specialist?" Percy asked, and Arthur shook his head. "It's not like that. Don't look at me like th—"

Arthur smiled softly. "How am I looking at you?"

"If he's going to be around Merlin a lot, maybe he can also keep note of who comes to see him. I think we need to use discretion."

"Right? And would _you_ like to recruit Doctor Greene for the mission?"

"Arthur…" Percy warned, and he knew he might have been pushing the line because after all, Arthur was his boss.

"Don't think I didn't notice you having an episode right after you'd met him. And his name is _Gwaine_ …" Arthur said in a hushed tone. "The boy you dreamt about…"

"Hi, is this an okay time?"

Arthur pulled away from Percy the moment they heard Gwaine's voice. Percy had not even realised Arthur had got so close to him with his hand resting on Percy's shoulder. Most likely to whisper to him about Gwaine.

"Yes, of course, Doctor," Arthur said, nodding. "I'll just go and check on Emrys. See you later, Everett."

"Yes, Sir," Percy said, mock saluting.

"Mr Percival Everett," the doctor said walking in, and swiping something on his small tablet.

"Percy is fine, really. Doctor Greene."

"Gwaine, please," the doctor said with a grin. "Doctor Greene is my father." He put the tablet down and came close to Percy, examining his face. "Have we—have we met before?"

"I…I don't think so," Percy said, hesitantly. "Not in this lifetime."

Gwaine's eyes shot up before he answered, "One of those new age believers, are you?"

Percy shook his head nervously, and ran a hand over his head. He'd just got a haircut a few days ago, and felt the tiny hairs sticking up. He gave a short laugh, "Not really. Just an expression I suppose. My partner Merlin and I use it a lot. It's our thing."

"Merlin, right. Mr Emrys. Is he _just_ your partner? Or your _partner_?"

"Oh, no. Nothing like—"

" _Gwaine, you're still here_?"

Another doctor came in the room and Percy recognised her right away.

"Yeah, just checking on my last patient before—"

"I thought your shift was over hours ago?" Gwen asked and Percy noticed Gwaine's ears were turning red. "Did my brother tell you to check on Percy? He doesn't trust me, does he?"

"Your _brother_ , Doctor Smith?" Gwaine asked, looking confused.

"Elyan, he's one of the men on the force," Percy said, cutting in, "and you know how the team is, Gwen…" He winked at her. 

"Oh, stop!" she said, smiling and patted Percy's arm. "Well, if you're going to be here, then fine. I've got other rounds to make. I've already signed your discharge papers, Percy. So you're ready to go. Just sign out at the nurse's desk."

"Will do," Percy replied and she quickly left.

"Your shift's over?" Percy asked Gwaine when Gwen had left and _closed_ the door behind her.

"I…yeah. I…you collapsed on my watch, and even though your vitals all seemed normal, I needed to make sure you were okay. I couldn't just leave. Not without…I mean I just had to check for myself."

" _Check_ for yourself?"

"Uh…yes." Gwaine was shifting from foot to foot, and Percy remembered that. Was it a memory of his imagination? It was a trait, the fidgeting, when he was nervous. "Your friend Arthur, he said you had these fainting seizure-like episodes when you were a child."

"I need to check on Merlin," Percy said, trying to standing up, and ignoring the way Gwaine was looking at him.

He needed to get his head in the clear. What was he going to do now? Confess to Gwaine? He wanted Merlin to wake up, tell them about the case, tell Percy _what to do_. It'd barely been two days but Percy felt so lost without Merlin.

"Right. Your partner. Of course," Gwaine said, turning around and picking up his tablet. "Doctor Smith has in fact signed your release. I'll need you to initial on the tablet here, and I can go to the nurse's office to let her know this bed is available for any patient—"

"Merlin is just my friend," Percy said. If he'd been reading the doctor correctly, the man seemed to be conceived there was something going on between him and Merlin, and of course, Percy had the distinct desire to tell him the truth.

"Oh. You and Arthur, then…"

Percy chuckled. "Arthur and _Merlin_ actually."

" _Oh_ …"

"But, Doctor, it's not a well-known fact. So when you see the Chief next, please don't say anything. He's here on the capacity as our Chief, not anything else."

"Of course," Gwaine said, looking sincere. "Patient-Doctor confidentiality and all that." He smiled at Percy, as if he were seeking his approval, and Percy nodded.

"Shall I walk with you to Mr Emrys's room?"

"Sure," Percy said, grabbing his jacket, as Gwaine opened the door to his room and led him.

Once there, Percy sat next to Merlin's bed. Almost everyone was gone for the evening, and there was one guard at the door to Merlin's room. As Percy sat there, holding Merlin's hand, Gwaine waited too. He was in the back, resting against the wall near the door, and didn't make a sound.

"When do you think he'll wake up?" Percy asked, not taking his eyes off Merlin.

"He's sedated now. I think his latest surgery went well. He's one lucky bloke, though. We did have a scare right before you got here, but in the midst of your collapse, and us getting you ready for tests, and everything, he seemed to make a recovery. It was almost as if he was calling for you."

There was a long pause, and Percy smiled at Merlin, believing whatever Gwaine had said. It would be just like Merlin to call for him.

"Sorry, if that sounded weird. There is no scientific evidence of such a thing."

"So you think he'll wake up soon?"

"Yes. He should be waking up in a day or two. Maybe even earlier than that. He's healing remarkably fast."

Percy let go of Merlin's hand then and turned to face Gwaine. Gwaine immediately stood up straight and stared right back to Percy. He licked his lower lip, and then seemed to catch himself realising what he was doing.

"I'll need you to do me a favour, Doctor," Percy said, his eyes darting down towards Gwaine's lips for a quick second, before meeting his gaze again.

"What's that?"

"Please don't share the information on his recovery with anyone else."

"I wouldn't. I only told you because you're listed as his healthcare agent—"

"He doesn't have family. He only has me and Arthur. I mean, the rest of the men on the force, as well, of course. But we're launching an investigation and we're afraid Merlin's life is still in danger. Whoever shot him might come back to finish the job. So if they find out he might wake up, we won't have enough time to protect him. During visiting hours, will you keep an eye—"

"Of course. We all received the memo about the extra security, but yeah, I'll keep a lookout."

"Brilliant. Thank you so much, Doctor."

"Gwaine. Remember, I told you to call me Gwaine."

"Of course, Gwaine," Percy said, making his way towards the door. "I'll see you later. Thanks for your help."

"Can I walk you to your car?" Gwaine asked and Percy turned to look at him. "I mean, just to make sure you're not disoriented. Usually, after an fainting episode we shouldn't allow the patients to _drive_ home, but like I said, your vitals were normal and—"

"Sure." Percy opened the door and gestured for Gwaine to go ahead. "After you."

Percy checked out at the nurse's station, and made his way to the lifts. Gwaine was right by him the entire time. As they walk out to Visitor's Parking and approached Percy's car, it'd been far too quiet for far too long. He was about to say something to Gwaine, thank him perhaps, for making sure he was all right when Gwaine pressed his hand against Percy's chest.

"You feel it too, don't you?"

"Feel what?" Percy asked, pretending to not understand the meaning. _Of course_ , he felt it too. He'd felt it the second he'd been in the same room as Gwaine.

"There's something…here."

"I'm not sure I follow."

"Right, sorry." Gwaine narrowed his eyes, and looking defeated, stepped back.

It was almost as if on instinct, Percy reached out and grabbed Gwaine's wrist. In that moment, he didn't want to let him go. He could have been fighting this, heck, he'd no idea what he was supposed to be doing once he'd found Gwaine, but he knew letting him go wasn't it.

"I can't have you walk away."

With Percy's hand still on him, Gwaine took a step closer. Percy kept his grip tight. He felt the heat between him and Gwaine rising and his entire body throbbed with a need he'd never felt before. Not sure, what Gwaine meant to him, not yet, anyway, Percy pulled him closer.

"I don't want to walk away."

"So don't," Percy whispered before he leaned down, as if being _pulled_ towards Gwaine, and—

" _Perc_ …?"

Arthur's voice jerked him back into reality and Percy let go of Gwaine and straightened up.

*-*-*

_"You're safe here," Merlin said, sitting on the sofa next to him._

_"How do you know the doctors won't be able to help me?"_

_Merlin shook his head before pouring them tea, and handing a cup to Percy. "Because Percival, what you're experiencing aren't seizures. Your memories are coming back. Memories of a life where you were the protector. You're looking for_ him _. Just like I'd been looking for Arthur."_

_"You don't mean…"_

_"Gwaine." Merlin took a sip of his tea, and Percy did the same. He was starting to feel better. In all of his thirty years, there was someone who believed him. Not just believed him, knew what he was going through. "You will see him again. It's destiny."_


	2. Chapter 2

"Going to see you boyfriend?" Arthur asked Percy when he filed his report and hit _Send_ on his email before closing his laptop.

Percy gave Arthur a long hard look, and smiled, "No. Going to see yours."

Arthur scowled at him, but he relaxed when Percy looked around, pointing out there was no one around them to hear what they had just said.

"You know the Doc won't tell me anything. You're his proxy," Arthur said, sounding annoyed. "I'm your best friend, your lifelong mate, and _he_ makes you his health proxy in all of five minutes."

"We have been partners for years, Arthur. And Merlin doesn't have his family."

"I know," Arthur said, nodding. "Text me how he is when you get there. I mean, if you can tear yourself away from his doctor, that is."

"He was off his shift, and was only walking me to my car," Percy argued but the look in Arthur's eyes told him that Percy wasn't fooling anyone. "Fine, believe what you want to. I've told him about our plan, by the way, and he's on board."

"Was that before or after you promised to shag him?" Arthur teased.

Percy shook his head, "You know, one day your secret is going to be out, and I'll have my revenge."

"Get in line," Arthur said, before he went back in his office and closed the door behind him.

All joking aside, Percy was aware of how worried Arthur would be. Not only was his in-the-closet boyfriend had a brush with death, but they also needed to figure out who had been double crossing them. They'd been so close on that last drug bust. They were going to finally catch the supplier and end one major operation for good, so they could finally have a victory, and they were cheated out of it.

It didn't look good.

It didn't look good for their department, the force, and most definitely, it didn't look good for Arthur— the youngest Department Chief in the history of Camelot Metropolitan Police Service.

______________________

When Percy arrived at the hospital, Merlin was still in his coma-induced state. The nurse in his room told him things looked good, and Percy should remain positive. Percy thanked her and went to look for coffee. He was going to wait, keep his distance, and watch for any suspicious activity around Merlin's room.

Well, that had been the plan until Percy ran into Gwaine in the hospital supply cupboard.

The nurse had given him directions to go to the small station where Percy could grab coffee. He opened the door thinking it was the kitchenette the nurse had described to him, and ran right into Doctor Gwaine Greene.

"Hi," Gwaine said, taking a step back as Percy walked further into the room.

"This isn't the kitche—hi," said Percy.

"No, the kitchenette is two doors down," Gwaine said, closing the door to the closet and facing Percy. "I've been keeping a lookout to see who has been going in and out of Mr Emrys's room. I've also had the nurses mark off who has come to visit him more than once today. So far, everything seems to be normal."

"Good. Great. Thank you." Percy smiled, his gaze going towards Gwaine's hand holding the door latch. "You planning on keeping me in here?"

"I'm thinking about it," Gwaine said with a smile. He looked so relaxed in his hospital scrubs, Percy couldn't help but bite the inside of his cheek from simply grinning. Gwaine's hair was tied up, and his stethoscope hung around his long, muscled neck, where a vein throbbed, letting Percy know he was nervous.

Good, Percy was nervous, too.

Without any hesitation, Percy took a step forward, and Gwaine leaned back against the door. Their lips met tentatively as Percy cupped the back of Gwaine's neck with his left hand and Gwaine pulled him close. Their hips pressed together, and Gwaine gasped into the kiss when Percy's other hand cupped Gwaine's arse.

Had he really been waiting so long to do this? Centuries? Lifetimes?

Gwaine moaned around Percy's tongue, sucking, and biting his lower lip, as if he'd wanted to do this for a while. Percy knew he had. He wanted to get lost in Gwaine's embrace, press himself against Gwaine's body, be inside him.

"My shift's over at seven. Come home with me tonight?" Gwaine said in between kissing, and as his mouth landed on Percy's throat, Percy suppressed a moan.

His hips started to move on their own accord and he pressed his erection against the front of Gwaine's trousers. "I can't…" he said, with regret. "I promised Arthur I'd go over the crime scene report tonight, in case the other guys missed something. Merlin's my partner so I might catch something—"

"Right. Okay." Gwaine was grinding up against him, his fingers digging into Percy's back through the fabric of his shirt. "I understan—fuck—God _Percival_ —want you."

"Want you so much…" Percy breathed, and he knew if he didn't stop, he was going to come right then and there, and he didn't want to do that. He had to be on guard for Merlin, wait for the email from Arthur so he could go over the report and—

Gwaine's hand reached down to the belt on his trousers and he opened it with ease, Percy had to wonder just how much experience he'd had doing that. Then, his fingers found his zipper, pulling on it, and reaching down to to free Percy's cock. By the time his head had wrapped around what was happening, Gwaine's fingers were wrapped around his cock and he was tugging.

"What are—"

"Please. I need to…"

And that was enough for Percy to let go. He surrendered into his desire, his _need_ to have Gwaine, and relaxed. His head rested into the spot of where Gwaine's neck and shoulder met and he breathed in deeply. Gwaine stroked him, fast, as if he knew what Percy liked. Maybe all hot and fast encounters were like this, and he'd just not known.

"Let go. Yeah. That's it…" Gwaine whispered in Percy's ear, and Percy grabbed Gwaine's arse with both hands and squeezed. His orgasm hit him hard. All he saw was a blinding light, the memories of Gwaine's moans, and then his cries.

His death. His last words to Percival.

" _I've failed…_ "

"What?"

"I failed at keeping you clean," Gwaine said with a shy smile, pointing down at their trousers that had his and Percy's come splattered. "I should have just sucked you off. Would have been less messy."

"Yeah. Right." Percy was nervous as he ran a hand through his hair and gave Gwaine an awkward smile.

"Oh, you're one of those are you?" Gwaine asked.

"One of who?"

"I can't believe we just did this because I'm not really gay—"

"I'm gay," Percy said, assuredly. "And single. And interested." Gwaine grinned at him, and then cupped the back of his neck, pulling him closer. "Except, I just don't think this was the right time and place to do this. Someone tried to kill my partner. They'll try again."

"Of course, I'm sorry. I don't know what got over me. It's just…you feel it too, don't you?" Gwaine asked, and Percy looked away. He stared down on the floor, suddenly finding his shoes to be the most interesting thing in the world.

"Percy?"

"I…yeah. Of course. I mean…" Percy flustered over his words. What would he say? What could he say? _Yes, I feel it. Yes. I want it. I've been looking for you for years, and I thought I was going crazy and the only person in the world who can make sense of it all is in a coma._

"Merlin," Gwaine said, nodding. "You love him."

"Like a brother," Percy said quickly. "This…it's just the wrong timing, is all. Unbelievable really because, yeah, I feel it. And I want it. But I need to catch the men who did this first. I don't want you to think—"

"Hey, I understand," Gwaine said with a stern face. "It's not the first time someone put me second to their work."

At Gwaine's word, a surge of jealousy went through Percy. Who had Gwaine been with? Did they hurt him? Would Percy need to hurt _them_?

"The job comes first."

"No," Percy said, closing any distance between them. "The safety of my team comes first. The people I care about—come first. You and I—I hope we'll have the time to get to know one another. As soon as this is over. I promise. I don't want you to think I don't care, but wouldn't you do the same? If it was your brother, your best friend…?"

Percy knew Gwaine would. The Gwaine he used to know, his partner, his love, was the same man standing in front of him. He _would_ put the safety of those he loved above all.

"Oh God," Gwaine said, running a hand through his hair. "I must sound like a complete wanker. Of course. I'm a man of medicine, the health and safety of my patients is my first priority and—"

"Hey," Percy leaned down to place a quick kiss on Gwaine's lips. "We'll have our time. If it's all right by you, I'd like to take you out to dinner. Maybe on Sunday? I'm off on Sunday."

"I've got a back-to-back shift, but we can go for breakfast on Monday morning." Gwaine grinned and Percy wanted to lift the man up again and have him wrap his legs around Percy's waist.

"Yeah. Breakfast on Monday sounds perfect."

______________________

Percy was asleep on Arthur's sofa when his mobile rang. They'd been working on filing all the paperwork, witness testimonies, recordings of the video traffic cameras and such, going over everything to get a clue. Finally, when they had everything in order, they decided to take a break and go over it again. It would be better to get one of the inspectors to take a look at all the evidence a give a fresh perspective.

Arthur had told him to rest there before he went home to shower and head back to the office. The hospital would call if there was any change.

So when his mobile rang at four o'clock, Percy hoped it was with good news. However, no one ever called at four o'clock in the morning with good news.

"Arthur," Percival shouted before he answered the phone. "Hello?"

"Mr Everett?" a woman asked, sounding nervous. "It's Gwen from the hospital."

"Yes," replied Percy. "Is it Merlin? Merlin Emrys? Is he okay?"

"It's Dr Greene," she said, sounding too formal, which made him think this was definitely not good news. "He's been attacked."

Percy felt as though the wind had just been kicked out of him. _No!_ He wanted to scream.

"What happened?" Arthur asked, standing in front of Percy. How long had he been there? How long had Percy been on the phone? Gwen was still talking but nothing registered.

"Wait, I'm sorry, can you start from the beginning?" he asked and placed his mobile on speaker so Arthur could hear as well.

"Dr Greene's shift was over at half past three and he said he was getting ready to check on Mr Emrys one last time before he was going to crash in one of our empty staff rooms. He always stays here for a few hours before he heads home. Doesn't believe in driving home so tired. There was a crashing sound from the room and the nurse ran in to check on what was happening — she screamed. Someone had attacked Dr Greene, and had jumped through the window. They seemed to be aware of the ledge that's right outside the room, given Mr Emrys's room is on the fifth floor and all. Dr Greene seems to be suffering from a concussion to a blunt force to his head but he was smart enough, we think, to move himself at the right angle to avoid any long-term damage. He's unconscious at the moment, but he keeps waking up in fits and calling your name."

"My name?" Percy asked, looking up at Arthur.

"Percival," she said. "Knight."

"What about Merlin?" Arthur shouted into the phone.

"As far as we can tell, the person who attacked Gwaine attempted to unplug Merlin's life support, but luckily, he's now breathing on his own and it didn't cause any severe damage. As soon as his medications wear off, we believe Mr Emrys will be waking up soon."

"Have you called the—"

"Yes," Gwen said. "Elyan is here and we have guards outside both doors, and we have locked the windows in their rooms to ensure their safety. We're simply waiting for you to get here because, well, he is calling your name, Percy."

"Okay, we'll be there as soon as possible."

______________________

Every bone in Percy's body was aching for him to just go and sit by Gwaine's side. How could have this been happening? Was it his fault? Was there any way it was Percy's fault? Maybe if he hadn't involved Gwaine, Gwaine would be safe right now. But, he was protecting Merlin.

The drive to the hospital, checking in with the front desk, and the inspectors on duty, Percy had nothing but doubt in his mind. Guilt for wanting to protect Gwaine, and thus, allowing the chance to hurting Merlin. The guilt of him being _glad_ Gwaine was there to protect Merlin, but then he was hurt in the way. There was no win in this situation. Someone was going to be hurt, and Percy couldn't decide who would he have rather picked?

"He'll be okay," Arthur assured him, patting his shoulder. "I can see he means a lot to you."

"You're all right with this? I mean, I just met the gu—"

"Hey, remember how I was when I met Merlin?" Arthur asked, giving his comforting smile to Percy. "I was going crazy. I wanted him more than anything and I'd barely known him. It's the same. Maybe—we're just like that. When you meet the one you know." Arthur shrugged before he pushed Percy towards the door to the room where Gwaine was staying. "I'll check on Mer, you go and be with your man."

"He's not my—" Percy stopped himself because he knew there was no point in arguing with Arthur. Arthur thought what he did. And he wasn't far off, either.

Percy entered Gwaine's room quietly. The doctor had told him Gwaine needed a lot of rest. He'd been attacked, but he was going to wake up. Maybe he'd wake up for Percy.

Gwaine's eyes were closed and he looked peaceful. A flashback of Percy seeing Gwaine, his eyes filled with tears to see the light, the life, leave Gwaine came across Percy and his heart ached. He brought a chair close to Gwaine's bed and sat there, holding his hand. If anyone saw them right now, Percy knew, it would look completely strange. He didn't know Gwaine, not really. How could he explain to them he'd always known Gwaine. Gwaine belonged to him.

"Percy?"

Percy didn't know how long he'd been in the room, but when he heard a woman's voice call for him, he immediately let go of Gwaine's hand.

"Hi, yes." Percy stood up from his chair and turned to the door where the woman was standing. It took him a while to recognise her, maybe it was the fact he was tired, or just he couldn't think of anything right now which wasn't about Gwaine. Her hair pulled back in a bun with a few curls around loose around her face. She wore a dark black suit with a doctor's coat. When she smiled, it reached her eyes, and Percy felt as though he'd been punched in the stomach again.

"Gwen."

"How are you doing?" she asked.

"Fine," he replied. _I'm not the one that's been hospitalised. Not yet._

"I didn't know you knew him…like that."

"I don't. We just…we just met."

Gwen raised an eyebrow but didn't answer. Maybe she'd know some day. Some day when she'd meet Lancelot.

"I have something for you," she said after they'd been quiet for a while and simply stared at each other. "From Gwaine."

"What? What is it?"

She held out her hand and Percy grabbed what she'd been holding. It was an ID badge. For the Police Service. He looked at it a while. The badge number, the name, and the picture ID was in the inside pocket. _CENRED DUGAL_.

"Where did you get this from?"

"From him," Gwen said, gesturing towards Gwaine. "He had it on his person when we found him. After the nurse that found him, I was the next person who examined him. I figured it belonged to his attacker. I didn't want to give it up until I met someone I could trust. I thought about giving it to Elyan, but with the way Gwaine kept saying your name—I kept it with me until I saw you."

"I have to tell Arthur," Percy said.

She nodded once before she picked up Gwaine's chart and started to review it. "He'll be out for a while. Maybe by the time you solve the case, you'll have many reasons to celebrate. But Percy…"

"Yeah?"

"Cenred? I mean, he's on your team. He's so close to all of you, Elyan—"

"I know, but we knew we had a mole in our group, Gwen, and now we may know who it is. I mean, if he's the mole, we don't know if he's alone. If his partner—"

"Mordred?" Gwen asked, sounding alarmed. "He's been here every day, Percy. He's always alone in the room with Merlin."

*-*-*

_"How can you let him be on the team?" Percy asked Merlin after he'd told Percy that Mordred was going to join the team._

_"He's not the same," Merlin assured him. "Trust me. He's not the same man we knew. We've all made mistakes—"_

_"Mistakes?" Percy asked in disbelief. "He killed Arthur. Now you want him here? What if he remembers? What if he still blames Arthur? I can't let him near Arthur, Merlin. I have to protect him."_

_"You don't think I want to protect Arthur, Percival?" Merlin asked. "But I know he's different. He's not the Mordred from our past. I can see our future together—if anyone betrays us, it won't be him."_

_"I can only hope you're right, Merlin. Because, I know I will lay down my life before Arthur. I will kill Mordred myself if I have to."_


	3. Chapter 3

The moment Percy saw Mordred, he grabbed him by his elbow and dragged him to the closest room he could find. Thankfully, it'd been empty. He slammed Mordred against the wall before the man could protest and shoved his arm below Mordred's neck. His body held him back, and he didn't care Mordred couldn't move, couldn't breathe, he was going to fucking _kill him_.

"Perc—wait—"

"You're going to answer my questions, Mordred. Now."

"I know about—Merlin. Cenred—I know…"

"You know _what_?" Percy growled. He kept his voice low so no one could hear them, because if Arthur found him, he'd not let him question Mordred like this. There'd be a proper investigation and Percy didn't have time for this. Two of the men he cared about were hurt, and Percy wasn't going to let any more harm come to anyone else. Especially Arthur.

"I know Cenred is the mole," Mordred choked out. "I've been investigating him…"

"Under whose authority?"

"No one. Just me. I had a feeling—I remember Percy. I made a mistake…killed Arthur…"

Percy took a step back and released his grip on Mordred's neck so the man could speak, but he kept a firm hand on Mordred's shoulder, pinning him against the wall. Any sudden move, Percy would be on him again.

He wasn't fucking around. Not this time.

"Percy, I know you remember," Mordred said softly. "I know you and Merlin share the secret. I once overheard you speaking, and I wanted to tell you, but I didn't know— I didn't know if you'd trust me. I am Cenred's partner and he had once been against us, and I wanted to make sure he wouldn't do the same again. But he doesn't remember, not the way we do, but he's the mole, Percival. And I'll help you catch him."

"Why didn't you say anything?" Percy asked. Merlin wanted to trust Mordred, but Percy didn't. He'd have to decide for himself if Mordred was worth his trust.

"I…" Mordred sighed. Percy let go of him so he stood up. He ran a hand through his hair. "I made a mistake. I wanted to show you I wasn't the same Mordred. That I _will_ follow Emrys and his direction. That I _would_ keep his secret."

"You love him," Percy said. It wasn't a question. The look on Mordred's face explained everything. Mordred was always around and Percy had thought initially because Mordred would betray them again, but now it was obvious. He fancied Merlin.

"I did then. And I still do. But I know—"

"Know what?" Percy snapped. If Mordred was going to try something because of his unrequited feelings, Percy was going to stop him. 

"He belongs to Arthur. That he loves Arthur, and Arthur loves him in return."

"And you're all right with that?" Percy didn't believe him. 

Mordred shrugged. "I have to protect Emrys at all cost. He's always been my teacher. Arthur has always been my king. If he doesn't love me the same way, that's okay, his friendship means everything to me. That's why I followed Cenred on my own. I was his shadow, watched what he did, where he went. I know his meeting place with the leader of the Camelot crime clan. I can tell you and Arthur—show you my proof."

Mordred frowned for a second as he finished talking. He looked down to his feet and Percy didn't want to care, but he couldn't help it. If Mordred was telling the truth, then his feelings mattered to Percy. He was part of his team.

"What is it?"

"That's where I was the other night. I was following a lead when Cenred had snuck into the hospital to harm Emrys. I should have been on his tail—I could have stopped—"

"You and I both know Merlin can take care of himself. He probably had magic surrounding him, protecting him, that's why he wasn't hurt. And Gwaine had managed to grab his ID, so we would know who it was trying to hurt Merlin."

"Gwaine!" Mordred ran his hands over his face, and shook his head. "I've fucked everything up."

"Not everything," Percy said calmly. "If you have the evidence, bring it to Arthur, and you'll be the hero."

Mordred's eyes widened. "You believe me?"

Percy nodded once. "For now. Merlin always told me to give you a chance so this is what I'm doing right now. You need to fix this."

"I will, I promise!" Mordred said with determination before he walked away from Percy.

______________________

Percy sat by Gwaine's bed while the man slept. His hand itched to take Gwaine's hand in his, but he resisted. He knew eventually, he'd have to leave. He knew that eventually, he'd have to get back to work, and life would be normal again. But the idea of leaving Gwaine alone, like this, was something he wasn't sure he had the strength to do.

"He's a brave one, isn't he?"

Percy looked up to see Gaius, Merlin's godfather, enter the room.

"How's Merlin?"

"He's doing well. Awake and chattering away. Naturally, he has the entire staff charmed and Arthur's over the moon about it," Gaius said before he took a seat next to Percy. "How are you, lad?"

Percy shrugged. "I've been better."

Gaius nodded once and placed his hand on Gwaine's leg. Percy watched as Gaius closed his eyes and took in a deep breath.

"Anything?" Percy asked.

"He's healing well and will wake soon. Merlin can help him remember, you know. When you feel the way you do, and you're certain he'd feel the same way, it might be better—"

"I just want to protect him," Percy said.

"I know, son. And you're doing a great job, and Gwaine was here protecting Merlin. He's holding up his oath, even in this life."

Gwaine stirred in his sleep and Percy's attention remained on him. He watched Gwaine for any indication that he might be waking up, but there was none.

Eventually, as visiting hours were over, Percy was forced to leave Gwaine's room. He couldn't stay at the hospital because he wasn't family. Merlin was moved from his unit to one level below and was being kept for observation for one more night.

It was better that way, Percy thought, this would give the team a chance to find Cenred while Merlin would still be protected.

"I can take care of myself," Merlin said when Percy told him that his room was going to have a guard at all times.

"I know, but the less magic you use here the better," Percy said.

Merlin rolled his eyes. "So Dr Greene…" he said with a smile. "Everyone's been telling me about him. Gwen should me a picture. Percy, it's—"

"Gwaine, yeah."

Merlin's eyes widened and he sat up straight in his hospital bed. "And he protected me?"

"He knew how important you are to me. To Arthur. We had asked all hospital staff to keep an eye on your room, record what visitors came by to see you. Mordred was here quite a lot."

Merlin raised an eyebrow. "You didn't kill him, did you?"

Percy laughed. "Almost. But he said he'd been following Cenred on his own, and that he has evidence against the man that he's working within the Camelot crime clan. That's why they've been one step ahead of us."

"I had a feeling about that. I didn't get to tell you the phone call I'd over heard before I was attacked…"

"Cenred, is he—I mean, does he remember?"

"I don't think so," Merlin said, looking pensive. "I don't feel it. There are others, I can feel my magic stronger around them, as if they could wake up and remember, but not Cenred. Maybe he's not worthy. Maybe one day he'd remember that he was king, but I'm not sure what good that would do. Arthur…he has a destiny; a purpose to remember."

"But why doesn't _he_?"

"He will when it's time."

Percy threw his hands up in the air with frustration. "You know I really hate riddles."

Merlin laughed. "I know. Imagine how I felt when I had to take directions from a dragon!"

______________________

Setting up a trap to catch Cenred was easier than Percy had imagined. Mostly because, Mordred had done all the hard work.

Percy was impressed of how Mordred had thought of everything. Maybe Merlin was right, maybe Merlin had always known that without Morgana's evil presence in Mordred's life, he would have always been by Arthur's side. But Percy wasn't going to let his guard down now. Not until Cenred had been captured and tried for his crimes. 

He, along with Elyan and Arthur, asked Cenred to carry out a message to the rest of the team. The message included details of their next meet, their plan, and how they were going to raid on their next target.

It'd been an elaborate ruse, and Cenred and completely fell for it.

"I installed a GPS tracker on his gun the last time he'd admitted it for a cleaning," Mordred told Percy and Arthur. "That's how I'd found out where he was meeting them. But he keeps changing locations. It was getting hard to follow until I set up a perimeter map and figured out the pattern" 

While Cenred was busy making contact with his associates, Mordred also placed a GPS tracker on his car.

According to Mordred, there were only two locations Cenred was likely to show up. Following the direction of his tracker, Mordred had managed to narrow it down to one. An abandoned old restaurant at the end of the town. It only had two entrances, and Mordred suggested that Cenred was more likely to use the one that was by the unlit alley.

When Cenred showed up to the meeting point, waiting for his criminal associates, he met with a furious Arthur, and Elyan and Percy as his back up. Mordred covered the other exit. If Cenred was going to try anything, they'd be ready for him.

They were.

Elyan arrested Cenred while Mordred watched. Percy could see the disappointment and the hurt on Mordred's face to realise that after all this time, he had been right. His _partner_ had betrayed them. Betrayed him.

"How could you have done this to us? We were a team!" Mordred said to Cenred before he was taken away.

"I'm a survivor, Mordred. You'll never understand that. You're always running behind your false heroes, tail between your legs, willing to do anything for _him_ …" Cenred gestured towards Arthur. "He's no one. I could have made you rich. I could have made you worth something."

Mordred gave a sharp laugh. "It's not the first time someone's promised me that, Cenred. In the end, they all failed."

Mordred looked at Percy and nodded. Percy regarded Mordred, but they knew they didn't have much time. Once Cenred was gagged, and tied up in the corner, the team waited for his associates to show up. They were going to arrest those men, and hopefully, they'd be one step closer to finishing their mission.

When the uniformed officers arrived at the location, Cenred was being pushed into the back of one of their cars.

Percy didn't see what'd happened.

All he heard was a loud "No!" from Mordred and by the time he'd turned around, Cenred had shot Mordred, who had placed himself in front of Arthur. Elyan was quick to draw his gun and he shot Cenred in his right leg. Cenred stumbled backwards before he fell, and several officers were on him.

"Mordred!" Arthur shouted, holding him in his lap. "God, you're bloody worse than Merlin, aren't you? Why did you do that?"

"I couldn't let him shoot my chief, Chief," Mordred said.

______________________

"You lot need to get the hell out of my hospital!" Gwen yelled at Percy and Arthur as they stayed in the waiting lounge outside the A&E department of the Kilgharrah Memorial Hospital. Mordred and Cenred had just been brought in for their gunshot wounds. Cenred had three uniformed officers standing by, while Mordred was being prepped for surgery.

"Is he going to be all right?" Arthur asked Gwen, visibly calm. "And, I know. I'm sorry."

She gave a curt nod. "He doesn't have a next of kin listed in his file," she said.

"We're his family," Percy said. "Come on, Gwen. Just tell us."

"It's a routine operation. But, I can already tell that he's lost the feeling of his left arm. We're not sure how severe the nerve damage is. It could be that he'll simply need hours of physical therapy or it could be that he'll be at a desk for the rest of his life. We don't know. Not yet."

Percy watched as Arthur took it in. He could tell what his best friend was feeling, the turmoil, the guilt of it all. Mordred had willingly placed himself in front of Arthur, protected him, and Arthur looked as though he were still the one that'd been hit by the bullet.

Percy's heart ached at Mordred's words. He'd done right by his promise. He'd protected Arthur. His king. He'd protected him for Merlin.

"You're lucky to have him," Gwen said, looking at Arthur. "Know that we're going to do the best the save him. To make sure that he'll be back on duty…in a reasonable amount of time."

"Right. Of course," Arthur said, clearing his throat.

"And…in some good news…" she said slowly, and both Percy and Arthur looked at her, giving them their full attention.

"Dr Green's awake. And he and Merlin seem to be quite taken with each other."

"What?" both Arthur and Percy said at the same time.

"Yeah, one moment, Gwaine was still and silent, and the second, Merlin wanted to see him. And then we heard laughter from Gwaine's room. When we went by to see, it was as if they were long lost friends—" She paused to chuckle lightly. "It's almost as if Merlin healed Gwaine."

_Of course, he did_ , thought Percy.

"You can go up and see him. Gwaine's been asking about you, Percy, and you have the privilege to see Merlin."

They made their way to Gwaine's room in no time, and just like Gwen had stated, Merlin and Gwaine were engaged in some conversation without realising there were other people in the room.

Gwaine was sat up in his bed, legs crossed, and Merlin was on the bed with him. They were face to face and a pang of jealousy shot through Percy. When he looked at Arthur, he could tell that Arthur was going through the same emotions.

Percy had to remind himself that Merlin and Arthur were in a relationship, and that not terribly long ago, he and Gwaine had had sex in one of the closests a few doors down. This was just a connection from their past resurfacing, _nothing_ to be alarmed about. Merlin and Gwaine weren't going to run off into the sunset together.

Not while Arthur was still there.

It was Merlin who turned around first. "Hey!" he said excitedly, jumping off the bed and rushing towards Arthur and Percy.

Before he could reach Percy, Arthur grabbed Merlin by his waist and pulled him close. They kissed for a long minute with Percy taking a step back from them. His face heated up and he chanced a look at Gwaine who was looking right at him.

"Hi," Gwaine mouthed the words to him, and Percy nodded.

Merlin pulled away from Arthur, protesting. "Arthur! Someone will—"

"No one's here, and with the kind of day I've had, I don't care if people see, Merlin. I don't care if they sack me for loving you."

Percy rolled his eyes and walked away from them and took a seat next to Gwaine's bed. "It's good to see you…awake."

Gwaine gave him his brilliant smile. "I hear you caught the bloke?"

"Yes. And it wasn't easy," Percy said. "Mordred was hurt in the process. He's on the operating table as we speak."

"What? What happened?" Merlin asked, coming up to sit next to Percy. He placed a hand on Percy's shoulder. "How serious is it?"

Percy and Arthur recounted the incident to Merlin and Gwaine. Merlin closed his eyes and took in a deep breath, Percy could tell he was trying to reach out to Mordred with his magic. He opened his eyes and smiled at Percy. "He'll be fine," he whispered to Percy while Arthur and Gwaine looked him, confused.

"He's doing his psychic thing again," Arthur said.

"Don't call it that. They'll take me off the Force if they think I'm mentally ill."

"Not to mention, they might keep you at the hospital," Gwaine said.

"Yes! We cannot have that. Hey!" Merlin turned to Arthur enthusiastically. "I've been given the green light to be discharged. Do you think you can be my ride home?"

"Me? I thought Percy was your proxy—"

"I know, but I think he might want to stay here." Merlin winked at Arthur and grabbed him by the elbow, dragging him out of the room. "It was nice to meet you, Gwaine. I'm sure we'll be seeing a lot of each other."

______________________

"I've been dreaming about you," Gwaine said. He reached out his hand so Percy could hold it, and when Percy did, he pulled Percy onto the bed with him. "I've been having these…visions. When I woke up, Merlin was here, and at first I thought it was a dream itself. I don't understand most of it, but they feel important. _You_ feel important."

"You're very important to me, Gwaine," Percy said.

"Yeah. I can tell that too." Gwaine smiled at him, and then look confused. "What does it mean, though?"

"It's not easy to explain. I don't think I could even if I tried. Maybe someday Merlin can show you."

"He's special, isn't he?"

Percy smiled, and brought Gwaine's hand close to his lips. "You have no idea," he said, kissing Gwaine's hand.

"The whole time he was here, all I wanted to do was apologise to him. Tell him that I was sorry—for some mission—but I'm not on the police service, so I've no idea—"

"It's okay, Gwaine," Percy said, pulling him close. "Do you trust me?"

Gwaine narrowed his eyes for a second. "I think I do. Which is just absolutely bizarre on top of everything else."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm a man of medicine, Percy. I believe in scientific research, trials and error, and proof! How I've been feeling for the past few days—I can't explain it. I want to trust you. I feel like I do. There's some connection between us but we've never met before. I can still see the deep blue in your eyes when I close mine. I know how you smell despite having just that one encounter with you. I knew what you'd feel like with your skin against me before we even had sex—"

"And Arthur? How do you feel about him?"

"That's the strangest thing of all!" Gwaine said with fervour. "I feel like I would do anything for him. But not because of Arthur, but because of Merlin. I have this strange connect—a kinship with him. Like we were best friends in another lifetime."

Percy smiled. "Maybe you were."

"That's ridiculous."

"Really?" Percy said in a teasing tone, "You close your eyes and you see me, and _that_ 's not ridiculous?"

"Shut up." Gwaine pushed on Percy's shoulder.

"So. How long do you have to be bed-ridden."

"Why?" Gwaine asked with a wink.

Percy shrugged. "I was hoping to take you to mine. Since I reckon our breakfast date would probably be postponed."

"It doesn't have to be," Gwaine said. "You can always bring me breakfast in bed."

______________________

  
****

Three Months Later

"How did you know? How did you know you weren't going crazy?" Gwaine woke Percy up one morning and started off his questioning. He'd been slowly remembering over the past few weeks, and that morning, it seemed that it all finally clicked.

"Merlin," Percy said. He was the bond that tied them all together. "When I became his partner, we were on our first job. And we were at such ease with each other, and he simply asked me questions about Arthur, since we grew up together, and then, he called me Sir Percival. It was a flashback, I had an episode again, in the car, and he put his hands on me…"

"What happened after that?" Gwaine asked, his eyes wide.

"I must have blacked out, because when I woke up, it was night. I was on the sofa in Merlin's flat. He said he didn't want to take me to hospital because he knew what was wrong with me." Percy smiled, threading his fingers with Gwaine's. "I was remembering. He said he could use his magic to help me remember. And as time went on, I remembered. I didn't faint when I remembered about the others. Gwen, Elyan, Leon… but I had another episode when I'd met you."

"And here I was thinking only _I_ had that effect on you," Gwaine said, sounding amused.

"You do," Percy replied, before pulling Gwaine's hand towards him, in turn Gwaine leaning his body towards Percy. "You've no idea what you do to me."

"I don't deserve this life," Gwaine said, when Gwaine was completely pressed against him. "I'd failed."

"Shh…" Percy said, kissing Gwaine's jaw. "You can't think like that. This is our chance, to fix our past, to be there for Arthur, still. Mordred made the right choice this time. We all are getting this opportunity to secure a new future for us."

Mordred had rejoined the service a month after his accident. He was assigned a new partner, Leon, and they were doing well. Leon had also introduced Mordred to one of his friends and it seemed…despite his feelings for Merlin, Mordred was moving on.

Percy kept Mordred's secret. He had no idea if Merlin knew how Mordred felt, but he wasn't going to bring it up and make things awkward between them. Mordred looked up to Merlin as his teacher, and if he was satisfied with that, and then that was it. It wasn't Percy's place to question anything. Not when he had everything he'd wanted.

"I have to get ready for my shift," Gwaine said, yanking Percy out of his thoughts. "Shower with me before you head home?"

"Your hours are completely crazy, you know," Percy said and Gwaine nodded. He got out of bed and pulled Percy towards him. They made their way to the bathroom where Gwaine turned the shower on.

"And I'm always working opposite hours from you half the time," Percy said, when Gwaine had undressed him and then pulled him under the hot spray.

"Right…" Gwaine said, grabbing the soap and handing it to Percy. Percy began to lather his back, his hands tracing down Gwaine's spine before reached Gwaine's arse. He slid his fingers down even more, pressing the flat of his index finger against Gwaine's hole.

Gwaine shivered under him.

"So you should just live with me," Percy said, pushing two fingers in and out with ease. Gwaine moaned, arching his back, and his head hung low. "So we can have more time to do this."

"Perc—"

Percy removed his fingers and lined his cock against Gwaine's hole. A week after Gwaine's release from hospital, they'd both been tested, and it wasn't long until they'd decided to stop using condoms. Percy loved the idea of taking Gwaine whenever he could. He liked visiting him during his shifts and the two of them often found an empty staff room during one of Gwaine's breaks. It'd been nearly impossible to keep his hands off Gwaine, and now, Percy meant every word he said. He wanted Gwaine to live with him. So they didn't have to steal time here and there to be together. Percy wanted to come home to Gwaine, and wanted the same thing from the other man.

"I love you," Percy whispered in Gwaine's ear as he pushed into him, and Gwaine's hole clenched around Percy's cock.

"Me too. Perc. Always."

"Then shift-in with me. Please." Percy thrust in harder, loving the way Gwaine was pushing back at him.

"Yes!" Gwaine shouted.

* * *

THE END

* * *


End file.
